1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a lever-fitting connector in which a male connector can be easily fitted to a female connector by pivotally moving a lever mounted on the male connector, and more particularly to a lever-fitting connector in which provisionally-retaining arms are formed at the lever so as to hold the lever in a provisionally-retaining position.
2. Background Art
One known conventional lever-fitting connector having provisionally-retaining arms formed at a lever is disclosed in JP-A-2005-122942. The conventional lever-fitting connector disclosed in JP-A-2005-122942 will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 11A is a perspective view of the conventional lever-fitting connector, and FIG. 11B is a side-elevational view thereof. FIG. 12A is a perspective view showing a condition in which a male connector and a female connector are fitted together in a provisionally-retaining position, FIG. 12B is an enlarged perspective view showing the relation between the provisionally-retaining arm and a provisional retainment cancellation projection, and FIG. 12C is an enlarged perspective view showing the relation between a slide induction projection and a lever sliding-purpose abutment projection. FIG. 13 is a side-elevational view showing the condition in which the male connector and the female connector are fitted together in the provisionally-retaining position. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a condition in which the male connector and the female connector are completely fitted together.
In FIGS. 11A, 11B and 11B, the lever-fitting connector 1 includes the female connector 3 having a fitting hood portion 2, the male connector 5 having a male connector body 4 for fitting to the fitting hood portion 2, the lever 6 which is pivotally mounted on the male connector 5 and can be pivotally moved so as to bring the male connector 5 into and out of fitting engagement with the female connector 3, and a seal member (not shown) provided between the male connector 5 and the fitting hood portion 2 so as to form a seal therebetween.
A waterproof hood portion 8 is provided at an outer periphery of the male connector body 4, and when the male connector body 4 is fitted to the fitting hood portion 2, this waterproof hood portion 8 covers the fitting hood portion 2. The lever 6 is pivotally mounted on an outer periphery of this waterproof hood portion 8. The lever 6 has fulcrum projections 9 projecting through the waterproof hood portion 8 toward the male connector body 4. Fulcrum retaining portions 10 for retaining the fulcrum projections 9 are provided at the fitting hood portion 2. The male connector body 4 includes two male connector bodies, that is, a larger male connector body 4a and a smaller male connector body 4b. Waterproof hood portions 8a and 8b forming the waterproof hood 8 are provided respectively at the peripheries of the male connector bodies 4a and 4b. 
The waterproof hood portions 8a and 8b are interconnected by an interconnecting projection 31. Pivot shafts 36 are formed on the waterproof hood portion 8b. The pivot shafts 36 are adapted to be inserted respectively in pivot holes 42 of the lever 6. A lever distal end portion-holding wall 37 of a generally L-shape is provided at the waterproof hood portion 8b, and extends to a wire lead-out surface 25. A lever holding portion 43 is provided at the outer side of the waterproof hood portion 8a. Provisionally-retaining step portions 38 are provided at corner portions of the lever holding portion 43. A lock arm 46 of the lever 6 is adapted to be inserted in the lever holding portion 43. The provisionally-retaining arm 44 of the lever 6 are adapted to abut respectively against the provisionally-retaining step portions 38. When the provisionally-retaining arms 44 abut respectively against the step portions 38, the lever 6 is held in the provisionally-retaining position relative to the male connector 5.
The fitting hood portion 2 is formed on and projects from a female connector housing 11. The fitting hood portion 2 includes two hood portions, that is, a larger hood portion 2a and a smaller hood portion 2b. Fulcrum retaining portions 10 are formed respectively on upper and lower surfaces 12a of the hood portion 2b. The fulcrum retaining portion 10 includes an insertion-purpose fulcrum retaining projection 13, and a disengagement-purpose fulcrum retaining projection 14. The insertion-purpose fulcrum retaining projection 13 includes a parallel surface 13a, and a retaining slanting surface 13b. 
Lever sliding-purpose abutment projections 17 each for guiding the corresponding slide induction projection 16 of the lever 6 in abutting relation thereto are formed respectively on upper and lower surfaces 15a and 15b of the hood portion 2a. The lever sliding-purpose abutment projection 17 includes a straight portion 17a, and a slanting portion 17b, and a pick-up portion 17c is formed at an open end of the slanting portion 17b. Further, retainment cancellation projections 18 are formed respectively on the upper and lower surfaces 15a and 15b of the hood portion 2a. The retainment cancellation projection 18 includes a pick-up surface 18a, and a holding surface 18b. A lock projection 21 is formed on an outer surface 19 of the hood portion 2a. 
The lever 6 includes a pair of lever side plates 39, and an interconnection operating portion 40, and is formed into a generally U-shape. Retaining pieces 41 are provided respectively at the lever side plates 39. The long-circular pivot hole 42 is formed in an intermediate portion of each lever side plate 39. The pivot shafts 36 are inserted respectively in the pivot holes 42, so that the lever 6 is pivotally supported on the made connector body 4. The slide induction projections 16 are formed respectively on inner surfaces of the pair of lever side plates 39. Each slide induction projection 16 is adapted to be guided by the corresponding lever sliding-purpose abutment projection 17 in abutting relation thereto.
The provisionally-retaining arms 44 of an elasticity are formed respectively at the pair of lever side plates 39. When the lever 6 is pivotally supported on the male connector body 4b, the provisionally-retaining arms 44 abut respectively against the provisionally-retaining step portions 38 of the waterproof hood portion 8a. The provisionally-retaining arms 44 can hold the lever 6 in the provisionally-retaining position relative to the male connector 5. The interconnection operating portion 40 includes an interconnecting plate 45, the lock arm 46, and operating surfaces 47. The lock arm 46 has a lock frame portion 48. This lock frame portion 48 is adapted to be engaged with the lock projection 21 of the hood portion 2a. 
Next, the procedure of the fitting operation of the lever-fitting connector 1 of the above construction will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 11A, 11B and 11B, the male connector 5 and the female connector 3 are opposed to each other such that the hood portions 2a and 2b are opposed respectively to the male connector bodies 4a and 4b. In this condition, the lever 6 is held in the provisionally-retaining position relative to the male connector 5. Namely, the provisionally-retaining arms 44 of the lever 6 abut respectively against the provisionally-retaining step portions 38 of the waterproof hood portion 8a. 
Then, the male connector bodies 4a and 4b are provisionally fitted into the hood portions 2a and 2b of the male connector bodies 4a and 4b as shown in FIGS. 12A and 13. In this condition, the lever 6 is held in the provisionally-retaining position relative to the male connector 5, and each provisional retainment cancellation projection 18 bends the provisionally-retaining arm 44 outwardly, thereby cancelling the provisionally-retained condition of the lever 6 as shown in FIG. 12B. At this time, each slide induction projection 16 abuts against the end portion (defining a starting point) of the lever sliding-purpose abutment projection 17.
In this condition, when a force F is applied to the interconnection operating portion 40 of the lever 6, each slide induction projection 16 of the lever 6 is guided by the lever sliding-purpose abutment projection 17, and the lever 6 is guided in a direction intersecting the fitting direction, that is, in the longitudinal direction of the male connector 5, and is slid toward the male connector body 4b. Each fulcrum projection 9 is brought into engagement with the insertion-purpose fulcrum retaining projection 13, and the lever 6 is pivotally moved or turned on the insertion-purpose fulcrum retaining projections 13 serving as a fulcrum. By this turning operation, a turning force is applied to the male connector bodies 4a and 4b, and the male connector bodies 4a and 4b are inserted respectively into the hood portions 2a and 2b. 
Then, when the lever 6 is further pivotally moved, the lock frame portion 48 of the lever 6 is engaged with the lock projection 21 of the hood portion 2a, and the male connector bodies 4a and 4b are completely inserted and fitted in the hood portions 2a and 2b, respectively, thus completing the fitting connection between the male connector 5 and the female connector 3 as shown in FIG. 14.
In the above conventional lever-fitting connector 1, the following problem is encountered in the condition before the male connector bodies 4a and 4b are provisionally fitted in the respective hood portions 2a and 2b, that is, in the condition in which the lever 6 is held in the provisionally-retaining position relative to the male connector 5. Namely, in the condition in which the lever 6 is held in the provisionally-retaining position before the fitting operation, when an unnecessary force is applied to the interconnection operating portion 40 of the lever 6, this unnecessary force acts on the provisionally-retaining arms 44 of the lever 6 held against the provisionally-retaining step portion 38, so that the provisionally-retaining arms 44 may be damaged or broken.
This is due to the fact that each lever side plate 39 is formed such that a relatively large space is formed immediately adjacent to the provisionally-retaining arm 44 (the provisionally-retaining arm 44 is provided such that the relatively large space is formed immediately adjacent thereto). When the provisionally-retaining arm 44 is excessively elastically deformed or bent beyond its elastic range, it will be damaged or broken.
When the above unnecessary force acts on the provisionally-retaining arm 44, the provisionally-retaining arm 44 is elastically deformed in a direction different from the direction of elastic deformation (outward bending) thereof by the provisional retainment cancellation projection 18, and as a result of this elastic deformation in the above different direction, a crack develops in the proximal end portion of the provisionally-retaining arm 44, thus damaging the provisionally-retaining arm 44.
It may be proposed to increase the width of the provisionally-retaining arm 44 so as to suppress the elastic deformation thereof in the above different direction. In this case, however, the increased width of the provisionally-retaining arm 44 increases the rigidity thereof, so that the elastic deformation (outward bending) of the provisionally-retaining arm 44 by the provisional retainment cancellation projection 18 will be affected.